Voting ends April 2, Several street closures to be aware of, Announcements, and Events

Hello neighbors, 

I hope you aren’t getting sick of being reminded to vote on or before April 2, because I’m really passionate about our democracy, and want you all to engage to your fullest ability! I always point folks to resources to learn about the items on your ballot, such as the League of Women Voters, and the Madison City Channel Know Your Candidates videos. The Wisconsin State Journal is also running candidate profiles, it’s just harder to link to those based on the way they have them on their website, but you can search for particular candidate Q&As as well. You can access information on polling places, sample ballots, early voting information, etc. at https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/. Get out and vote!!

Announcements & News Releases

• Clerk’s Office Makes Changes to Better Serve Absentee Voters in Care Facilities: The Madison City Clerk’s Office coordinated 54 visits to nursing homes and care facilities this week in an effort to better serve absentee voters.
• Applications Open Friday, March 15 To Be The 2024 Naturalist-in-Residence at Madison Public Library:  Apply through April 15 to lead a 6-week nature residency in libraries and green spaces across Madison.
• Madison Selected for “Nature Everywhere” Communities Initiative: The City of Madison is proud to announce it is one of nineteen communities in the country selected to join the inaugural Nature Everywhere Communities initiative.
• Road Closure -- Pleasant View Rd: Hoffman Construction will close Pleasant View Road, between Quarry Rd and Pleasant View Golf Course, for two days next week: Tuesday, March 19, from 9:00 a.m. -- 2:00 p.m. Thursday, March 21, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Peak Hour Lane Closure — Eastbound Campus Drive: Starting Monday, March 18, the travel lanes heading eastbound on Campus Drive will reduce to one lane of traffic at the east end of the street, at the Campus Drive & University Avenue traffic signal, for Bus Rapid Transit Lane widening.
• Extra Round of Brush Collection Begins March 18, 2024: The Streets Division will begin an extra round of brush collection on Monday, March 18, 2024.
• Absentee Ballots are in the Mail: The Madison City Clerk’s Office has mailed absentee ballots to 13,162 voters for the April 2 Spring Election.
• Street Closure - Hudson, Miller, Willard, Center and Sommers Ave Reconstruction: Starting on Monday, March 18th.
• Funding for Madison’s Second Bus Rapid Transit Line Included in Federal Spending Bill: On Monday, March 11, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced that $118.1 million for the Madison area’s second bus rapid transit line, Metro Rapid Route B, has been included in President Biden’s 2025 Proposed Budget.
• Street Closure for Construction — Dempsey Road: Starting on Wednesday, March 13th at 7:00 a.m., R.G. Huston Company Inc. will close Dempsey Rd, from Cottage Grove Rd to Maher Ave, to replace the underground utilities and reconstruct the roadway. This closure will last through August.
• Join Us for Terrace Town 2024: Explore Eco-Friendly Model Cities Designed by Students: Terrace Town brings architecture, design and city planning curriculum to Dane County elementary classrooms. Over several weeks, 700 students learn how cities are planned, what makes a quality city, and how citizens can participate.
• Meagan Tuttle Appointed Madison Planning Division Director : Mayor Rhodes-Conway announced the appointment of Meagan Tuttle as the Director of the City’s Planning Division.
• Segoe Rd and Sheboygan Ave Reconstruction: Reconstruction of Segoe Rd and Sheboygan Ave is scheduled to begin on March 20th, and is expected to last until late-August, 2024.To minimize impact to the community, reconstruction will occur in phases:

Events

• In-Person Absentee Voting Begins, Tuesday, March 19: Absentee voting sites begin opening today. Check our In-Person Absentee Voting website for locations and hours. 
• Yoga Core, Tuesday, March 19: Yoga Core is a great class to help build strength and body awareness. This class incorporates a wide variety of seated, standing, balancing, and mat-based yoga poses focusing on strength, stability, and mobility. Core-based practices can help enhance balance and stability and prevent falls and injuries as we age. All levels are welcome. Participants will need to be able to get up and down off the floor. Chairs or walls may be used for balance assistance.
• Empower your financial journey, Wednesday, March 20: Join Madison Area Community Land Trust (MACLT) for an empowering session that covers both credit-building strategies and effective budgeting techniques presented by Sara Whitley from Johnson Financial Group.
• Assistive Technology in the Workplace, Thursday, March 21 (VIRTUAL): Hosted by the City of Madison Disability Resource Group, an affinity group of staff with disabilities, and the Department of Civil Rights.  This event will include a hybrid meeting with a panel.  In-person attendees will have an opportunity to try Assistive Technology devices following the panel.
• Meditation At Monona Terrace, Thursday, March 21 (VIRTUAL): Life can be stressful, meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace, and balance that benefits both your emotional well-being and your overall health. All experience levels and drop-ins welcome. 
• Westside Community Connections - March 2024, Thursday, March 21 (VIRTUAL): Please join Alder Wehelie, Alder Duncan, and Alder Harrington-McKinney as they host Matthew Mikolajewski and Saran Ouk from the Economic Development Division, and Kirsten Donkle of the Department of Civil Rights, who will talk about resources and programs available for businesses in our community. There will be time for a Q&A at the end of the presentations. 
• Madison Poet Laureate Debut Gala, Thursday, March 21 (IN-PERSON): The new Madison poet Laureate, Steven Dawson, will be giving a poetry reading along with the 2020-2024 Madison Poet Laureate, Angie Trudell Vasquez, and the 2022-23 Ronald Wallace Poetry Fellow at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, Chessy Normile. The reading will be 30 – 45 minutes, followed by a short Q+A segment and informal reception. 
• Lakeside Dance Lab: Salsa, Friday, March 22: Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of Latin dancing through Salsa! We’ll cover everything from musical recognition, basic steps, posture, turns, and even put together a little choreography to cap off our workshop! FREE ticket required for admission. Secure ticket through Eventbrite or by calling 608.261.4062
• Taller para Primeros Compradores de Vivienda, Saturday, March 23: Tome el primer paso para ser dueño de una casa, y únase a este Taller de Educación para Compradores de Casa. ¡Este taller GRATUITO de Educación para Compradores de Vivienda se llevará a cabo en persona en el Camara de Comercio Latino (5262 Anton Dr, Fitchburg, WI 53719) el sábado 23 de marzo de 8:30am-3:30pm! El almuerzo será proveído. Nuestra primera compra de vivienda talleres cubren los siguientes…
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, March 23: Join a naturalist for an easy family-friendly walk from Aldo Leopold Nature Center into beautiful Edna Taylor Conservation Park and enjoy a bit of nature education along the way. Walk will begin at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, 330 Femrite Drive. Meet outside at the Children's Shack. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks, Badgerland Bird Alliance, and Aldo Leopold Nature Center . No registration is required. No pets are allowed.

Take care,

Regina Vidaver